You may know that Environment and Climate Change Canada has released revised Environmental Emergency (E2) Regulations, coming in to force on August 24, 2019. Information previously submitted to Environment and Climate Change Canada will not be transferred to the new reporting system as the Regulations contain different requirements.

Facilities previously subject to the old requirements must submit new notices. All facilities that are subject to the Regulations will need to re-register in the new reporting system and adhere to the new reporting deadlines.

How can ERAC help?

• Management of E2 plans, including submitting, updating and deadline reminders
• Audit and gap analysis of current E2 Plans
• Writing/updating E2 Plans to meet 2019 Regulations
• Help with public outreach
• Annual tabletops and full-scale exercises
• Emergency response

Don’t miss your deadline. Ensure your facilities are compliant with the new Regulations. Contact Don Merriam, Emergency Response Planning Manager, 514-714-1075 or don.merriam@erac.org. 

What are E2 plans?

Environmental Emergency (E2) plans are required by Environment and Climate Change Canada for all industries that have large volumes of hazardous substances produced or stored at their facilities. ERAC can assist clients in meeting the regulations by developing new E2 plans, reviewing and editing existing E2 plans, and developing or assisting with annual drills and exercises. 

Since 2017, ERAC has produced numerous E2 submissions for both small and large facilities in various industries across Canada.

The E2 Regulations apply to any person who owns or has the charge, management or control of a listed substance that:

• is at or above the quantity set out in column 3 of Schedule 1 of the E2 Regulations at any time during a calendar year; or
• is at a quantity greater than zero and is stored in a container that has a maximum capacity equal to or exceeding the threshold quantity for that substance (see subsection 3(1) of the E2 Regulations).

ERAC has recently written E2 plans for the following products:

For over 30 years, ERAC’s qualified staff has trained, assessed and approved response teams from coast to coast. We are one of the leading organizations in emergency response in Canada.

ERAC has full-time staff dedicated to developing or editing E2 plans, including in-house modelling and mapping.

ERAC also responds to emergencies involving stationary tanks on behalf of its Plan Participant members and assists with the development and execution of mandatory annual drills and exercises.

For more information on E2 plans, please contact Don Merriam, Emergency Response Planning Manager, 514-714-1075, or fill out the form below.

When is an E2 plan considered to be implemented?

An E2 plan is considered implemented when it has been written and is operational to the point where the regulatee submitting the notice can expect to successfully deal with all aspects of an environmental emergency.

How often do E2 plans need to be tested?

The E2 Regulations require that you update and test your E2 plan at least once each calendar year. You are required to keep a record of the results of these annual updates and tests with the plan at a location that is readily available to those involved with the response efforts for a period of at least five years beginning on the day the record is made.

Initial testing should include informing those affected that a test is being planned. This warning will enable responders and participants to react in the proper manner through adequate pre-planning. However, once the skills and knowledge have been acquired, the scenario can be tested without participants’ prior knowledge. When designing an exercise, the planners should reinforce any previous training. The test must be simple enough that available resources are adequate, but difficult enough to be challenging. It must also provide maximum lessons learned, including post-exercise evaluation and corrective action, if necessary.